Collier County Community and Human Services Division
Notice of Privacy Practices

Browse:

• Notice Requirements
• Use and Disclosure of Your Protected Health Care Information
• Other Uses of Protected Health Information
• Your Rights Regarding Your Protected Health Information
• We Are Required by Law To:
• Questions and Complaints
• Notice Updates
• Effective Date

    This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

Notice Requirements
    Collier County Human Services is required by federal and state laws to maintain the privacy of your health care information. The law also requires us to give you a Notice telling you about the law, your rights, and our privacy practices. This Notice represents the Community and Human Services Division programs that support your health care needs. They are:

1. Services for Seniors
2. Social Services
3. RSVP

    If our Privacy Practices change, this notice will change. You will find it, or any future Notices, posted in our Human Services Department, on our Internet site.  If you would like additional copies or to learn more, please contact us at the address listed at the end of this Notice.

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Use and Disclosure of Your Protected Health Care Information 
    As a part of our day-to-day activities, Collier County Housing & Human Services Division may need to create, receive, or keep medical information about you. To provide treatment, to handled billing and payment activities, and to manage our services, we may use and disclose (share) your protected health care information without first getting your written approval.

    Examples of how we might issue or disclose your information include the following activities:

1. Treatment.
   Collier County might discuss your medical condition with doctors, nurses, technicians, or hospital staff to arrange or provide medical treatment. We might request copies of medical records to arrange for treatment based on eligibility for treatment in our health plans. We may use your medical information to arrange transportation and delivery of appropriate meals. We might use your information to contract with Health Care Providers and Plans for medical treatment for members of Employee Benefit Plan.
2. Payment.
   Collier County Human Services Division may use or disclose information to discuss your condition, any treatments given to you, or to review the cost for services in order to arrange for payment. We may use or disclose this information with an insurance company. We may contact others to pay for or bill for services.
3. Health Care Operations.
   Collier County Case Managers or Business Partners might discuss or review your condition to assure you receive e quality care, to verify you are actually receiving the services that are being billed, or to develop better ways to provide care. We may use your information to manage or purchase services. It may be used to evaluate our providers and contractors. Health information may be used or disclosed for legal purposes or for internal management purposes.
4. Others Uses and Disclosures.
   Collier County Human Services Division may contact you to:
   
   • Arrange your appointments or your eligibility interviews.
   • Provide you with information about new medications, treatments, benefits, and services that are available.
   • Market services or raise funds for Collier County Human Services.

    

   Collier County may provide information to government officials who:

   • Are responsible for Public Health and Disease reporting.
   • Provide Health Oversight (Nursing Homes, Physician Licensing, FDA, HHS, Research, Audits, and Investigations).
   • Responds to Judicial related requests, (Subpoenas, Trials, Court Hearings).
   • Provide Law Enforcement Services.
   • Conduct lawful military and intelligence activities.
   • Are Military personnel.
   • Are authorized by workers’ compensation laws.
   • Respond to threats to public safety from unsafe products, unsafe drinking water, or disease.
   • Protect against abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and other crimes.

    

   Collier County Housing & Human Services Division may provide information to:
   
   • Licensed researchers or care groups, who are under strict rules regarding how they use and disclose protected health care information, those researchers or medical review members may use the information about individuals with your condition for a study to improve ways to treat or manage diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, or cancer.
   • Hearing and Appeals groups to resolve disputes, render opinions, provide independent reviews.
   • Others involved in your care.
   • Responders in Emergency Situations.
   • Funeral Directors.
   • Others as required by law.

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Other Uses of Protected Health Information 
    Other uses and disclosure of protected health information not covered by this notice or the laws that apply to use will be made only with your written permission (authorization). If you give permission to use or disclose protected health information about you, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time. If you revoke your permission, we will no longer use or disclose protected health information about you for the reasons covered by your written authorization. We are unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission.

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Your Rights Regarding Your Protected Health Information 
    You have the following rights regarding the protected health information we maintain about you:

Right to Request Restrictions. 
    You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the protected health information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the protected health information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not use or disclose information about a test you had.

We are not required to agree to your request.
    If we agree we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment. 

    To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing to your case manager. In your request, you must tell us (a) what information you want to limit; (b) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure or both; and (c) to whom you want the limits to apply, for example, disclosures to your spouse.

Right to Request Confidential Communications.
    You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at home or only by mail.

Right to Inspect and Copy.
    You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of protected health information that may be used to make decisions about your care. This includes Medical records, but does not include psychotherapy notes. 

    To inspect and copy protected health information, you must submit your request in writing to your case manager. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other costs associated with your request. 

    We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain limited circumstances. If you are denied access to protected health information, you may request a review of that denial.

Right to Amend.
    If you believe that protected health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by the County. 

    To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and submitted to your case manager. In addition, you must provide a reason for your request. 

    We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing. We may also deny your request if it does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:

1. Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment;
2. Is not part of the protected health information kept by the County
3. Is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or
4. Is accurate and complete.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures. 
    You have the right to request an accounting of disclosures; you must submit your request in writing to your case manager. Your request must state a time period not longer than six years, and the time period cannot extend to dates before April 14, 2003. The first list you request within a 12-month period will be free. For additional lists, we may charge you for the costs of providing that list.

Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice. 
    You have the right to a paper copy of this notice, and you may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. To obtain a paper copy of this notice, ask your case manager. 

    
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We Are Required by Law To: 
    Maintain the privacy of protected health information about you; 

    Give this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices regarding protected health information about you; 

    Abide by the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.

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Questions and Complaints 
    If you have any questions or complaints contact the Collier County Human Services Division Privacy Officer at 252-8154 or request to meet with the Privacy Officer in person.

    You can also contact the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Please note that there will be no retaliation against you for filing a complaint or making requests regarding your protected health care information or if you disagree with Collier County Human Services Division related decisions about your protected health care information.

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Notice Updates 
    Collier County Community and Human Services Division (CHS) may need to change its privacy practices from time to time. Before making such changes however, this department will modify this Notice and begin distributing it to individuals when they receive services by CHS.

    These new practices will then apply to all information held by Collier County Human Services Division. At any time, you have a right to get a paper copy of the latest version of this Notice by contacting the Collier County Human Services Division Privacy Officer. A current copy of this Notice will be posted on our website at https://www.colliercountyfl.gov/your-government/divisions-a-e/community-and-human-services.

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The effective date of this Notice was April 14, 2003.

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